SEQUIM — The city of Sequim and the city’s Transportation Benefit District have been found to be in compliance with state regulations, according to the state Auditor’s Office.
The recently completed financial audit and accountability audit found that both the city and benefit district comply with state regulations and provide adequate safeguarding of public resources, said Sue Hagener, city of Sequim administrative services director, on Monday.
The process confirmed “that we are making financially sound decisions for the sustainability of our operations, [and] that we have solid internal policies and procedures to make sure that we are doing everything right and that we are doing everything that we are supposed to do,” she said.
The city paid about $24,000 from its general fund to the state to complete both audits, while the benefit district paid about $4,000 from its coffers, Hagener said.
The benefit district is a seven-member board made up of City Council members.
It was established as a separate entity by the City Council in 2008 for the purpose of maintaining streets and modes of transportation within city limits.
The audits were conducted in October, with the results released Nov. 18 during an exit conference with state auditor representatives at the Sequim Civic Center.
The conference was closed to the public.
The state financial audit is conducted annually, while the accountability audit is undertaken every three years.
This year’s accountability audit covered both the city and transportation districts accounting for 2012, 2013 and 2014.
The next accountability audit is scheduled for 2018 and will include years 2015, 2016 and 2017, Hagener said.
Financial audits check the adequacy of internal controls over financial reporting, Hagener said.
Accountability audits are “much more of a deep dive into how the city operates,” Hagener said.
“Number one, they want to make sure that we are safeguarding public resources from fraud, loss or abuse.
“Number two, they want to make sure we are complying with all applicable rules and regulations as well as our own internal policies and procedures.”
According to city staff, there have been no findings in city of Sequim audits in more that 20 years and the benefit district also has received clean audits since its inception.
The audit reports will be available by Nov. 30 on the state Auditor’s website at www.sao.wa.gov, and on the city of Sequim’s website at www.sequimwa.gov.
For more information, call Hagener at 360-681-3426 or send an email to shagener@sequimwa.gov.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
